


The Moment

by posingasme



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Ben Braeden is Dean Winchester's Son, Blind Character, M/M, Service Dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 17:12:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4487946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/posingasme/pseuds/posingasme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam's roommate Luke is gone, and this new guy has moved in with him and his service dog. Sam doesn't like him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Moment

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr prompt looking for Sastiel with blind Sam.

The new guy was entirely obnoxious. Sam didn't like him.

"So why'd you name him Bones?"

"He likes bones. Treats. He's a dog."

"Well, I can see he's a dog. But you don't have much imagination, do you?"

Sam may not have vision, but that did not keep him from rolling his eyes. "I guess not," he grumbled.

"I mean, you may as well have named him Spot. Or just Dog."

"His name is Bones."

He could hear the other guy leaning back on his bed. It creaked. Even that was annoying. "I bet it isn't. I bet The Doctor could tell you what his real name is."

Sam sighed and turned his back to his new roommate. "I told you. I've never watched Doctor Who."

"You'd like it."

This annoyed Sam even more. "How would you know what I'd like?"

The guy was shrugging. God help him, the guy was shrugging. He knew it.

"Non-verbal communication doesn't work well with me," he snapped.

"Oh." Castiel laughed. "Right. I was just shrugging, I guess."

Sam shook his head. "Yeah. Don't." He missed Luke. Luke had understood him. Luke had run away to college under bad circumstances too. He was estranged from his father just like Sam was. Luke was smart and sarcastic and dark like Sam tended to be. He didn't know who this new guy was, but he was no Luke.

"Sure. I'll try to remember. Anything else I should keep in mind?"

Sam was the one shrugging now. "I don't know. Don't leave crap lying around for me to trip over. Don't feed Bones anything without talking to me. Don't move furniture without telling me. My brother will pop in unannounced sometimes because he's a jackass, but there isn't much I can do about that. He insists on checking on me like I'm a child."

"Sure. Yeah. Must suck to have a brother who cares about you like that."

Sam paused, then turned toward the other guy's bed with a frown. "What?"

"I totally get it. I mean, God, who wants the hassle of having family that cares? Be better if they all just fell in a pit someplace and let us live our own lives alone and unloved, am I right?"

A slow, surprised smile began to spread across Sam's face. "Actually..." He laughed sheepishly. "Actually, I'm kind of glad he does it. But other guys act like it's stupid to have your big brother coming in to check up every ten days or so."

"Hm. So it's your friends treating you like a child, not your brother."

"I, uh..." Sam sat up awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess. I never thought of it like that-"

Castiel cleared his throat. "You should think of stuff more. Your dog, who is clearly your best friend and an invaluable service animal, is called Bones because he likes bones. You scold people for using non-verbal communique even though it's obvious you know exactly what they're doing. And you let your buddies dictate how you view your relationship with an older brother who loves you."

"Wow, I-"

"Yeah," Castiel parroted him. "Don't."

And that was the moment Sam fell for Castiel Andeo.

***

"Cas, stop. You've got to listen."

"I can't hear anything special, Sam." Castiel watched as Sam rolled his lovely eyes. It never failed to make him laugh when he did that. "What? I'm trying!"

"It's subtle."

"It's noise."

Sam sat up with irritation written across his face. "You're hopeless. Entirely, irreparably, horribly hopeless."

"You knew I was tone deaf out of the gate. Don't be surprised now."

The other man sighed and lay his head back on his chest again. Castiel liked him there. "Not surprised. Just sad."

"Oh, Sam. Don't be like that. You're breaking my heart! Why don't you go run off with some musician?"

"Not a chance. I'm going to save you instead."

The older student sighed. "Sam, I'm never going to be able to hear the difference when it's that subtle. It's just too close to the same note for me. Can we pick on your physical faults for a while?"

Sam laughed, shaking the whole bed. "No!"

Castiel smiled, and raised his free hand to Sam's hair to stroke it lovingly. "Your hair is too perfect. It's too soft and falls exactly the right way every time."

"Cas!" he giggled.

"Your face is entirely too handsome. It's offensive. Your eyes are this cryptic color. Just when I think I've figured out what color they are, your expression changes, your mood changes, the light around you changes, and I'm lost again. Your nose."

"What about my nose?" Sam breathed.

He reached up to kiss it softly. "It's this sweet little point, the tip, and it needs kissing all the time. It's exhausting."

Sam was beginning to blush at the attention.

The fingertips brushed down over his reddening cheeks, reverently worshipping his skin. "The way you turn just a little warm when you feel me watching you, it's really entirely too cute. And this..." His fingers painted over Sam's lips so tenderly that he felt him shudder. "This is incredibly unfair. This mouth."

Sam kissed the fingers, and closed his eyes happily.

"This mouth is just unfair. Every smirk or smile, every breath and every word, all I want is to kiss you. It's unfair." The fingers traveled along Sam's jawline, and this time, his own lips followed.

"God, Cas."

"Your throat is too sexy." He lowered his lips below Sam's chin and nipped his way down to his collarbone. "I think that might be your worst feature, actually," he teased. "It's just unacceptable. You think me being tone deaf is a flaw? Let me show you how difficult it is to be around this throat of yours."

Sam drew his breath in through his nose, and held it until Castiel lifted his head again.

Then Castiel shrugged and stopped abruptly. "But you're right. Let's go back to making fun of me for not being able to hear the difference between two notes."

When Sam let loose a frustrated whimper, his lover laughed. "You don't fight fair."

"Is there any advantage to fighting fair?"

"No," Sam admitted. "Just the knowledge that you're an honorable man."

"I'm no angel, Sam. You knew that from the gate too."

They lay in comfortable silence for a moment, then Sam hummed two notes quickly.

Castiel tackled him and set to work tickling at the naked skin until Sam was howling so much that Bones joined in.

And that was the moment Castiel knew he wanted to live his whole life with Sam Winchester.

***

Dean growled audibly, and lifted his plate to avoid it being knocked out of his hands by screaming eight year olds.

"Don't use that voice on me," Sam teased. "You're the one who wanted to throw Ben's party yourself. I told you to do it at the arcade or someplace."

"Shut up, Sammy." Dean groaned. "God, they're everywhere! Did Lisa invite the whole freaking school?"

Sam laughed quietly. "She said you have to invite every kid in the class if you invite more than two. Some etiquette thing."

"They better not get into the liquor."

"They're eight, Dean."

He could almost feel Dean's exasperated glare. "I meant their mothers. Hey! Hey. Lise?" His voice lowered. "How much is this costing us?"

It was all Sam could do not to snicker when Lisa sighed. "A lot less than a divorce, Winchester. Put some cake in your mouth so you don't say anything you probably shouldn't. Sam, I've been waiting a long time to say this to your brother. Dean? Fill and shut your cakehole."

He could hear the love of Dean's life walk away into the mess of noise and confusion Sam sensed a few feet out. His brother was smiling; he could hear it. "I love that woman."

"I know you do. She's right. Quit bitching and enjoy your kid's party."

A hand settled on Sam's shoulder, and he reached up to grasp it. "There's my husband. Where have you been?"

Castiel was out of breath. He dropped down next to Sam's chair, panting. "I went in the thing with the jumping. With like nine kids. It was awesome."

Dean was cackling at him. "You braved the bounce castle? You're a crazy man."

"Dean, you have to try it. It's amazing. And the kids just love you for it. It's really great."

"God, Cas, didn't you ever have a childhood?"

Sam felt for Castiel's face and found it sweaty, but full of smiles. He kissed him gently. "No," he answered for him. "No he didn't."

"Of course I did," Castiel argued. "But not like this. If I had kids? I'd do this every day. I'd let them bounce on me! Dean, they're so cute! They're just these little balls of energy, just ready to explode any second! You look at them, and they're all grins and mischief, and you look away only to turn back and they're angry and weepy, and they reach out for you, and they're all dirty and sticky, and then they're telling you about these dreams they have about snot rockets, and then they hug you and thank you, and you just want to squish them!"

The noise around them faded and Sam could only hear the two men laughing together. Two men Sam would have never expected to be comfortable with kids were trading stories of how wonderful it was to have them. Sam listened happily.

"And Ben, I mean, I know everybody sees you in him," Castiel said breathlessly, "but I gotta say, there's a lot of Sam in that kid!"

Dean chuffed in surprise. "Yeah? I think so too! Smart kid, right?"

"Fantastic kid," Castiel sighed wistfully.

And that was the moment Sam realized Castiel Andeo wanted children.

***

Castiel knew he was off-key. How could he not be? But Sam was not home, and the baby would not stop crying. He had called Charlie, and she had suggested singing. So that's what he was doing. Badly, but with every ounce of love he had in his heart.

Things had worked out really well with Charlie and Dorothy. They had fertilized eggs after just the third try, and two little families had been created. Meagan had been born just a few days before Celeste, and they could not have been happier. Sam and Castiel had been so grateful for their chance at parenthood that they had read every book, viewed every film, and learned every lullaby.

Unfortunately for poor Meagan, Castiel was the one trying to sing to her tonight.

He had worked his way through every song he could remember, and was partway through an old pop rock song, when the telephone finally rang.

"Dean?" he said.

"Cas, you called so late. What is it, what's wrong?"

"Meagan. She won't stop crying!" Castiel's voice hitched in a sob. "I can't get her to stop crying."

"Well, is she sick?"

"She's burning up, Dean. I was just about to take her to the hospital!"

"Hang on, man. She's probably okay. Look, did you give her Tylenol?"

Castiel blinked down into gray eyes he hoped would become hazel after time had passed. "No. Can I...can I just...do that? Sam isn't here."

Dean was trying not to yawn. "Tell me what's going on. Can you see if she's hurt or something?"

"No, I don't think so. Just hot."

"Okay, well, Cas, sometimes babies just gotta fight off a bug, okay? She probably got exposed to something, and now her little immune system is trying to fight it. Give her a bit of Tylenol, and see if she settles down to sleep. You know how much to give her?"

"The doctor wrote it down for me last visit."

"Okay. Try that. Wait twenty minutes. Just rock her."

"I tried singing to her," he said desperately.

"Well, Cas, that's probably why she's crying. Go on. Call me if that doesn't work. If you're going to the ER later, I'm going with you. Okay?"

A tear escaped his lashes then, and splashed on Meagan's blanket. "Thank you, Dean."

"No problem, buddy. I remember those nights. It sucks, but you get through them. And Sammy, he'll be home soon. If I don't hear from you, I'll assume you and Meagan got some sleep, and I'll swing by your place in the morning to check on you. If I do hear from you, I'll be in the Impala before the second ring. Promise."

"Thank you, Dean," he sighed again.

"Get some rest, brother."

And that was the moment Castiel realized just how wonderful it was to have family.

***

The hand that gripped him was shaking terribly. He tried to squeeze it. "Cas, I'm all right."

"I know," his husband choked. "I know you are."

Sam's eyes were closed, and his head felt fuzzy. But the hand was warm in his. "Cas, I'm fine," he said again.

This time, Castiel flinched and burst into a storm of tears. "You're not fine!" he roared. "You're not fine; stop saying you're fine!"

"Hush! Do you want Meagan to hear you?"

"Ben came and took her to Dean's place. She's staying with them for the weekend." Castiel pulled his hand away and began pacing the floor angrily. With every heavy footfall, Sam could feel the rage radiating from his husband.

"Cas, I'm-"

"I promise you, Sam, if you tell me you're all right one more time, I will..." He took a deep breath, then continued in a quieter voice. "They shouldn't have separated you from Riot."

"No. They shouldn't have. But it was a kid, Cas. He didn't know."

"Then they should have trained him so he did know! That's what Riot is for! To keep things like this from happening! And you!"

"Me?"

"How could you let Riot be taken from you? The poor thing practically broke his own neck trying to get to you, when you shouldn't have let them take him in the first place!"

"I didn't expect it to be a big deal, Cas. Sometimes it's easier to just not fight it." Even as the words came out of his mouth, he knew it was the wrong thing to say.

"Not fight it? Not-Sam, you shouldn't have to fight anyone to have your damn service dog with you in a freaking airport! You shouldn't have to explain to a security officer why you need to have Riot's leash in your own hand!"

"He thought he was helping me-"

"And he almost got you killed!" Castiel screamed. "Don't! Don't defend this! You have always defended this, and it isn't right! Somebody else's ignorance shouldn't lead to me losing the man I love!"

Sam sighed. "I'm sorry, Castiel. I was tired, and I had argued, but I just didn't feel like arguing any more. He thought he was helping me, getting me to the cab, and I tripped at the curb-"

He heard Castiel suck his breath in through his teeth, and he knew he was picturing the scene in his head. "Sam," he moaned.

"Cas, I really am fine. The car wasn't going that fast. And the driver's insurance is covering the medical bills-"

"Do not try to change the subject," his husband muttered in a quiet, dangerous voice. "As if this has anything to do with money. Anything at all to do with money. Don't you understand how valuable you are to me? How can you even talk about money when our little girl could have lost her papa? When I could have lost my husband?"

Sam grew quiet too. "I'm sorry, Cas."

"You let Riot do his job. You let him protect you. If someone tried to take Bones from you, that mutt would have bitten his hand off! Imagine what Riot felt being separated from you when you were hurt! Imagine..." The sob wrenched Sam's heart right out of his chest. "Imagine...Dammit, Sam, imagine me having to live without you!"

"Imagination was always your problem, Cas," Sam teased sadly. "Too much heart and too much imagination. Stop imagining I'm gone and come over here and tell me you're glad I'm fine."

At last, he could feel Castiel's head lower to the hospital bed, and Sam let his fingers stroke the dark hair gently. Castiel sat like that and wept until exhaustion took him, and he slept under Sam's hand.

And that was the moment Sam fell in love with Castiel Andeo all over again.


End file.
